In late November 1997 I flew to Maningrida in Arnhem Land for a commission by ‘The Book Of Loud’ which was a government youth initiative to profile young Australians in a magazine format. I was to shoot a story on the Indigenous artist Nicky Pascoe who painted in the traditional method using bark.
Indigenous Australia
Field Of Thunder
During the 1950’s and 60’s, the British Government conducted nuclear tests at Maralinga in South Australia. These tests exposed Aboriginal inhabitants to radiation and contaminated the landscape with radioactive materials for hundreds of thousands of years.
I SEE A BLACKENED EARTH
COVERED BY LEAVES
I SMELL DEAD TREES
I TASTE SMOULDERING ASHES
BUT HEAR NO BREEZE
B. Walong